Survival Foods

[Chipg]

Originally Posted by Healer52

I did some consulting for a guy who was on a round-the-world helicopter flight, about his survival/medical needs.... The guy handling his other survival equipment suggested a jar of peanut butter.

Peanut butter makes a lot of sense: It's incredibly high calorie density food, provides protein, carbs and fat (all important), is more or less palatable, and inexpensive. Plus, it keeps you occupied in your life raft trying to lick it off your palate....

There is a very cheap product called Plumpy' nut (60 Minutes T.V. show had a story about how it is saving malnutritioned kids in Africa) Plumpy'nut - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia it is peanut butter based that meets all the daily nutritional requirements. It is VERY cheap and will last for about 2 years with no refrigeration, I'm told it taste pretty good too.

[Chipg]

Here is the 60 Minutes video about Plumpy' nut: 'Miracle' Food Saves Lives - 60 Minutes - CBS News

[GordMay]

Should a revolutionary humanitarian food product (Plumpy’nut marketed by Nutriset) be protected by commercial patent, when lifting restrictions might save millions of starving children?
See ➥ BBC News - Legal fight over Plumpy'nut, the hunger wonder-product
And ➥ The Plumpy

[David_Old_Jersey]

I recall hearing many years ago that it was possible to live solely on a diet of...........Guinness

Not entirely sure how accurate that actually is. Been close to finding out a few years back. But that diet also included nicotine so probably doesn't count. But a six pack in the grab bag would seem to make sense..........

Definately one for the solo sailor though . or at least not a shared small boat. with poor ventilation

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Should a revolutionary humanitarian food product (Plumpy’nut marketed by Nutriset) be protected by commercial patent, when lifting restrictions might save millions of starving children?
See ➥ BBC News - Legal fight over Plumpy'nut, the hunger wonder-product
And ➥ The Plumpy

Two points:

1. The company has a right to protect its products and charge a fee for them otherwise it would go out of business. The fact that patent law makes no provision for hungry kids is a fault in patent law, not of the company that has workers' kids of its own to feed.

2. The world already produces more food than people need. The real crime is the shoddy distribution system, politics and corruption that stops the food getting to those who need it. The EU regularly runs food mountains and wine lakes. Some years ago they got rid of a butter mountain by giving pats of butter free to EU pensioners.


In terms of survival foods, I think the nut paste is good because I would never, ever snack on it. Although I can eat nuts, I'm not that fond of them.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by mintyspilot

...
2. The world already produces more food than people need. The real crime is the shoddy distribution system, politics and corruption that stops the food getting to those who need it...

Good points.
Plumpy'nut is not merely a conventional “food” product, but a "ready-to-use therapeutic food" (RUTF), used in the treatment of severely malnourished children.

[muskoka]

Originally Posted by zeehag

and to those allergic to peanuts--killer.

I just see that as more food....

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Good points.
Plumpy'nut is not merely a conventional “food” product, but a "ready-to-use therapeutic food" (RUTF), used in the treatment of severely malnourished children.

I still don't understand why they do not use Nutella or peanut spread in place of "Plumpy nut". Having said that, according to Wikipedia (!) a four week course of Plumpy-nut three times a day costs 12 euros. So the cost is .....errr..... peanuts

After 7 x 4 x 3 = 84 helpings of Plumpy-nut, I suspect that I would pay €12 just to avoid having to eat any more. It reminds me of an episode of "Red Dwarf" where the computer mentions that they've nearly run out of milk and are on the emergency backup - dog's milk. Apparently it lasts longer than all other types of milk because no one willingly drinks it.....

Originally Posted by muskoka

I just see that as more food....

You wouldn't be the first

"The great British legal case testing these questions was Regina v Dudley and Stephens in 1884. Cast adrift on a lifeboat 1,000 miles from land and close to death, sailors Thomas Dudley and Edward Stephens killed their cabin boy, Richard Parker, and with their shipmate Edmund Brooks survived on Parker's remains until they were rescued four days later, by which time all four would otherwise have probably perished.

Dudley and Stephens were brought to trial on their return to England, and the judges wrestled with Hugo Grotius and Pufendorf, Lord Bacon and Lord Hales, the concept of necessity, the right to self-preservation and other weighty considerations, before eventually pronouncing a verdict of guilty and imposing the death penalty. It was, however, commuted to six months' imprisonment."


Catalin AvramescuPrinceton University Press 360pp,
ISBN 9780691133270
Published 19 May 2009

[Chipg]

I don't see why you couldn't get a jar of peanut butter, some powdered milk and crush up the vitamins and make a batch yourself then vacuum bag it in portions.

it's not rocket science to figure out what the daily vitamin portions to add would be, you could even take it a step further and add more vitamins.

[Chipg]

Maybe even add granola and hydrated fruit into the mix so it's plumpy nut granola bars, that and Guiness sounds pretty good!

[zeehag]

now , if talking survival, why isnt there a fishing rig on the lifeboat?? just a hand line--and lure and such-and a small bait net--a survival fishing pack is easy to put together and doesnt take as much room as many other things....keep one in the ditch bag for emergency use--will get ye a lot farther than running out of water while peanut butter mixtures from hell are still stuck in yer throat.....not a beer drinker but guinness does have a goood place on lifeboat--fishing and drinking--the pb mix needs something to make ye numb enough to actually try to eat it......

[barnakiel]

I think some sort of drug would work too. You take it, you fly away and while so doing, you do not feel hunger.

Ganja perhaps?

;-)
b.

[Astrid]

now , if talking survival, why isnt there a fishing rig on the lifeboat??

If I remember correctly, Navy lifeboat survival kits usually do have fish hooks and line.

[easterly38]

After Katrina I think I ate every kind of long shelf life meal out there. (And I still have the extra 30 lbs. to prove it.) One that stood out was Rip 'N' Ready. They make entrees that are fully cooked with a 2 year shelf life. The chicken and rice was my favorite. I had forgotten about them until I saw this thread. I'm going to order a case to keep on the boat just for the convenience of them. Rip'N'Ready

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by Astrid

If I remember correctly, Navy lifeboat survival kits usually do have fish hooks and line.

Now all you need to do is eat it raw, make a fire or find a tropical island with some citrus fruits and make a ceviche? The whole idea of this dish is that the acid in the citrus cooks the seafood. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceviche

Recipes for ceviche abound, but all you really need is the citrus, which might even be substituted or complemented with vinegar (another mild acid) and some chilli or other herbs and spices. If you are drifting around aimlessly for months after being dis-masted and/or suffering a critical mechanical failure in the middle of the ocean, it is these sorts of condiments that you would probably think of eating last. So why not get the fishing gear out and put them to good use?

The great thing about the ceviche is that it will also temporarily preserve your catch especially if you have a little cooking oil left to throw in the mix. Just don't forget to also drink the marinade.